Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
The supporting cast of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Streaming Services 6 of the best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and more (December 8–December 14)
Timothee Chalamet as Marty in Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme
Movies Timothée Chalamet praises his own work over the "last seven, eight years" as "really top-of-the-line performances"
Year in Review: The Best of 2025 main listing image for Best Movies of 2025 featuring images from Weapons, Superman, Sinners, and The Long Walk
Movies The 25 Best Movies of 2025
Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in It: Welcome to Derry
Horror Shows It: Welcome to Derry Easter eggs and cameos: All the Stephen King and wider franchise references you might have missed
007: First Light
Action Games 007 First Light devs drop trailer hours before The Game Awards, revealing a new celebrity James Bond villain
daniel kaluuya
Animated Movies Spider-Verse star Daniel Kaluuya gives update on his standalone Spider-Punk movie
Superman 2 concept art by Jim Lee showing Superman holding a screwdriver and buddying up to Lex Luthor, who is clad in his purple and green battle armor
DC Movies James Gunn can't share his whole Spotify Wrapped because "ALL" the top songs are in Man of Tomorrow
Stray sheet music
Adventure Games Where to find Stray Sheet Music for Morusque
Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz as Hank and Yvonne in Caught Stealing
Streaming Services 6 of the best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and more (December 2–December 7)
The Wolf of Wall Street
Musicals Quentin Tarantino begins his best movies of the 21st Century list with a nuclear hot take: "I don't think Scorsese has made a film this exciting [this century]"
A screenshot of Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
JRPGs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 actor Ben Starr can "sympathize" with Daredevil lead Charlie Cox's bewilderment over the French JRPG's success, because he "didn't expect it to be this big" either
A still from Curry Barker's new horror movie Obsession
Horror Movies First teaser for new horror movie with 97% Rotten Tomatoes score sees a music store employee get more than he bargained for after making a mysterious wish
Chica in Five Nights at Freddy's 2
Horror Movies Five Nights at Freddy's 2 reveals new synopsis and character descriptions, and it sounds like Freddy Fazbear is now a celebrity
John Cena as Peacemaker holds a gun to the head of a different John Cena as Peacemaker in Peacemaker season 2.
DC TV Shows Peacemaker season 2 Easter eggs – Every cameo and reference in episodes 1–7 of the returning DC series
(L to R) Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, and Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in Stranger Things 5.
Streaming Services 6 of the best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and more (November 24–November 30)
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

8 Great Music Star Cameos

Features
By James White published 23 October 2009

Jarvis Cocker's Fantastic Mr Fox job and more…

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)

Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)

The Muso: Jarvis Cocker

Cocker plays a character called Petey, who looks suspiciously like his real-life counterpart.

While his song for the film is still in place, his narration was removed because the studio was worried US audiences wouldn't be able to penetrate his Sheffield accent.

Appropriate Lyric: "Mis-shapes, mistakes, misfits, We'd like to go to town but we can't risk it, oh, Cos they just want to keep us out. You could end up with a smack in the mouth, Just for standing out, Oh really."

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

The Muso: Ian Brown

The former Stone Roses singer has a small, blink-and-you'll miss it role in the third Potter thanks to a friendship with director Alfonso Cuaron.

He was shoved on to the Leaky Cauldron set, and got to work a little magic by being a man reading a book and stirring his tea without touching anything.

Appropriate Lyric: "I feel fantastic, you make me feel majestic, you're sweet fantastic, your love is hypnotizing, your love, is mesmerizing."

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

The Muso: David Bowie

A habitual cameo-nabber (and occasional lead, back in the day), Bowie turned up in David Lynch's cinematic prequel to the TV show and only served to add to the weirdness.

He's FBI Agent Phillip Jeffries, described as "long lost" mostly because he stepped off the Philadelphia field office's elevator one day and turned up in Buenos Aires seconds later.

Appropriate Lyric: "Once a time, they nearly might have been, Bones and Oogie on a silver screen, No one knew what they could do, Except for me and you, They slip away, They slip away."

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
This Year's Love (1999)

This Year's Love (1999)

The Muso: David Gray

The fun but unremarkable rom com has largely drifted under the waters of time in 10 short years, but Gray, who hoped writing the music for the movie and appearing in a cameo as a pub band member would help boost his career, certainly saw the benefit.

He's now a big-selling artist with plenty of success under his belt.

Appropriate Lyric: "This year's love had better last, Heaven knows it's high time, And I've been waiting on my own too long, But when you hold me like you do, It feels so right, I start to forget, How my heart gets torn…"

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

The Muso: Jack White

White, clearly having the time of his life, turns up giving a slightly mad, but perfectly pitched version of Elvis.

The King in Dewey's life story is a hyperkinetic smooth charmer with a coif to worship.

Appropriate Lyric:
"Well if they catch me around, You're playing rock the boat, I'm gonna catch hell, And if you're throwing your voice, In bed singing a note, I'm gonna catch hell, I know it"

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
The Wedding Singer (1998)

The Wedding Singer (1998)

The Muso: Billy Idol

Somehow, it's perfectly appropriate that the man behind White Wedding should show up in the film.

Idol pops up as himself, traveling on a plane that also happens to be carrying Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore's characters. He helps the pair reunite, not only introducing Sandler's song over the intercom, but stopping Barrymore's fiance from interfering. "Chicken or fish?"

Appropriate Lyric: "But oh if you're lonely, And so blue, It's here inside saying, Man for woman, Love's unchained ah yeah, Man for woman, It's insane well, That's right, I gotcha."

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
The Simpsons Movie (2007)

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

The Muso(s): Green Day

The band provide one of the few highlights in the overstuffed and patchy pic, playing on a floating stage to entertain Springfield's masses.

When they put down their instruments and start trying to plug enviromental issues, the crowd throws litter and causes the stage to dissolve, up-end and sink, Titanic-style. "Gentlemen, it's been an honour playing with you tonight…"

Appropriate Lyric: "Nice guys finish last, You're running out of gas. Your sympathy will get you left behind, Sometimes you're at your best, when you look the worst, Do you feel washed up, like piss going down the drain."

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Back To The Future (1985)

Back To The Future (1985)

The Muso: Huey Lewis

BTTF is practically a Huey informercial, since he and The News contribute two songs to the film's soundtrack (come on, who didn't dance to 'The Power Of Love'?) and appears in a small cameo as one of the judges at the Battle Of The Bands.

He's the one who says Marty McFly's Pinheads are "too loud." He plays a buttoned down teacher type well.

Appropriate Lyric: "Went uptown to see my cousin, Plays guitar, sounds like a chainsaw buzzing', In the crowd, I see his mom and dad, I said "Hey, hey Uncle, man your son is bad", But sometimes, sometimes bad is bad, Cool is a rule, but, sometimes, bad is bad."

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
James White
Freelance Journalist

James White is a freelance journalist who has been covering film and TV for over two decades. In that time, James has written for a wide variety of publications including Total Film and SFX. He has also worked for BAFTA and on ODEON's in-cinema magazine. 

Read more
James Gunn
James Gunn is officially in the DCU after this sneaky Peacemaker season 2 cameo
 
 
Things With Feathers
Benedict Cumberbatch is tormented by a giant crow in The Thing with Feathers – see the exclusive first poster
 
 
Superman 2 concept art by Jim Lee showing Superman holding a screwdriver and buddying up to Lex Luthor, who is clad in his purple and green battle armor
James Gunn can't share his whole Spotify Wrapped because "ALL" the top songs are in Man of Tomorrow
 
 
Nick and Judy in Marsh Market in Zootopia 2
Zootropolis 2 creators brought almost 200 characters to the screen for the sequel and drew inspiration from Disney's "incredible legacy," including Jungle Book and Robin Hood
 
 
Hideo Kojima in a screenshot from the Xbox and Bethesda 2022 showcase.
Hideo Kojima's new film role is not at all what we expected, but it's somehow perfect
 
 
Five Nights At Freddy's
The First Omen director might have just found her eagerly anticipated next project, and it's an A24 horror movie eyeing up Five Nights at Freddy's, Fear the Walking Dead, and Weapons stars
 
 
Latest in Movies
Vision
Avengers: Secret Wars might be getting some help from a sorely missed MCU star
 
 
Lakeith Stanfield in Judas and the Black Messiah
LaKeith Stanfield set to spend 48 Hours in Vegas as Dennis Rodman
 
 
Potential new James Bond Idris Elba wearing a suit. That is all.
Idris Elba plans to retire from acting and become a full-time director
 
 
White Vision in WandaVision
Paul Bettany teases a return as Vision in Avengers: Secret Wars after Vision Quest
 
 
Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance in The Shining
The Shining may be Stephen King's least favorite adaptation of his work, but it's my favorite
 
 
Ben Affleck in Justice League
Guillermo del Toro's scrapped DC movie would have been led by John Constantine and included a Batman cameo
 
 
Latest in Features
Deku powered up in My Hero Academia season 8
My Hero Academia's final episode cements the Shōnen anime as one of the all-time great superhero stories
 
 
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic screenshot showing the silhouette of a Jedi wearing a cape
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic needs to put being an RPG before being a Star Wars game
 
 
Divinity
Larian's new Divinity game might mean a pivot back to classic RPGs and I can't wait to see it
 
 
The title card for Forest 3 shown during The Game Awards
Forest 3: Everything we know so far about the upcoming survival horror game
 
 
Artwork of Total War: Warhammer 40,000 showing a Space Marine, Orc, and Aeldar fighting on top of a mound of corpses
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 big preview: Inside Creative Assembly's ambition to develop "the seminal Warhammer 40K game"
 
 
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic – Everything we know so far about the new Star Wars RPG
 
 
  1. Key art for Skate Story showing the glass skater boarding through a dark underworld filled with spikes towards a door of light
    1
    Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
  2. 2
    Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
  3. 3
    Sleep Awake review: "An all-timer horror premise is let down by tired stealth that I feel like I'm sleepwalking through"
  4. 4
    Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: "The series' atmosphere has never been better, while being dragged down by a boring overworld and clunky psychic powers"
  5. 5
    Routine review: "This imperfect but wonderfully atmospheric moon-based horror leaves a strong impression"
  1. Freddy Fazbear in Five Nights at Freddy's 2
    1
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  2. 2
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  3. 3
    Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
  4. 4
    The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
  5. 5
    Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
  1. Noah Schnapp as Will Byers and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things season 5
    1
    Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review: “Can the Duffer brothers stick the landing? It’s sure looking like they will”
  2. 2
    Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
  3. 3
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  4. 4
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  5. 5
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...